I rarely play video games because I usually grow tired of them pretty easily, and I’d usually rather be doing something more productive, like channel surfing. A few times a year, though, I’ll get a new game for my PS2 and play it until I beat it. Most recently this phenomenon of my couch-potato life has occurred with The Godfather. Obviously, once I saw the commercials for this video game I knew I’d have to at least try it out. The Godfather movie series is one of my all-time favorites, mostly because I’m 25% Italian and it makes me feel good about my heritage. Seriously, my great-grandfather moved to the U.S. from Italy and his name was Guiseppe Cortese (it’s pronounced Cor-tay-say, not Cor-tez — say it with a good Italian accent and you’ll have it down, although it’s been Americanized to Cor-tease and Cor-tessy). I digress. This game is awesome. Basically you start out as a low-life thug at the bottom of the pecking order in the Corleone family and try to work your way up by taking over businesses and rackets, carrying out hits on rival families, and doing other cool mafioso things. If you get far enough you will take control of all the rival families and become the Don of New York. The graphics are pretty good, but what’s really cool is the detail that went into recreating 1946 New York — you feel like you’re there. Just ask Tony, he knows what it looked like back then — he used to be a goomba errand boy. Plus, you get to customize the look of your character to be whatever shape and size you want. So my recommendation is to pick up this game and waste a few days of your life in front of the TV. What else are you going to do, wakeboard? Don’t forget your cannelloni and parmesan.